Convergent
by emmz233
Summary: An alternative ending to Allegiant. Please read and review :)
1. Chapter 1

**Convergent**

Chapter 1

Tris

I stare across the room, completely transfixed at the sight of my mother with me again. I don't feel my bullet wounds, or the remnants of the death serum still clogging my veins, all I see is her. She is as I last saw her – in Abnegation clothes, her small, knowing smile playing around her lips, and I can see bullet holes in her shirt, yet there is no blood. I try to step towards her, but am unable to move; I feel the arms of death tighten around my chest. My mother is no longer calm; her lips are moving too fast, she looks upset and angry. I look around wildly, trying to see the source of her anxiety. Black dots begin to creep into the edge of my vision; my mother's face starts to blur and fade, replaced by the darkness. I close my eyes as I am consumed by the shadows. I picture everyone I will see so soon: my father and mother together again, Will, Al, Lynn, Uriah. I can almost see their figures coming forward from the gloom to greet me. But then I see all those who I am leaving behind: Matt, Zeke, Susan, Caleb, Christina, Tobias… My throat tightens and tears prick my closing eyes. _Tobias, I'm so sorry_, I think, but then I am falling, weightless at last…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tris

My mind teeters on the edge of consciousness; on one side the numb, painless black, on the other, aching, spiking, burning pain. Surely death shouldn't be so painful? Soft voices, barely audible, reach me as if from a long distance. I try to catch the words, but they slowly die away, and I am enveloped once again in the darkness.

I see Will collapsing as my bullets hit him, my mother embracing her death to save me, my father struck down by Dauntless guards, Al's pale body dragged from the Chasm, Lynn's blood staining my hands, Uriah's motionless body on a hospital bed. My eyes fly open; I am drenched in a cold sweat. I sit up, too fast, and my body aches in response. My head spins dizzily, and I flop onto my back. I am lying on a small, worn mattress in an unfamiliar room. Am I in heaven? Whatever I am right now, I definitely don't feel dead. Neither Abnegation's religious teachings, nor Dauntless blind faith have spoken of anything like this after death. I have always imagined the afterlife as a great meeting of all my loved ones who I had lost, final forgiveness and reconciliation. I suddenly become aware of movement in the doorway, and I curl up, closing my eyes and taking deep, even breaths. I can make out two voices entering my room; a woman who sounds familiar yet not quite right, and a boy whose voice I instantly recognise. A million emotions flood through me, freezing me where I lie. I feel like I'm trapped in a nightmare, back in my fear landscape; my heart pounds and I struggle to control my quick, shallow breaths.

I hear Will's familiar, heavy footsteps approach my bedside, and I tense, waiting for him to speak, he must know I'm not asleep.

Something cold brushes against my forehead, and I resist the urge to swipe it away, before I realise it is just a wet flannel, cooling my feverish forehead.

"Kate, she still hasn't woken up," Will says, anxiously, addressing the familiar-voiced woman. "She is going to recover, isn't she?" I risk a glance through my eyelashes, and I am certain that I'm dead.

My mother is leaning against a chest of drawers, silhouetted by the light from the open door, giving Will a reassuring look. My heart gives a jolt to see her again, alive and happy. But is she alive? Surely I'm dead? Maybe she's here with Will to lead me…on, wherever that may be. A sudden shout from outside the open door brings me back from my pondering. My mother looks anxiously between me and the door.

"Should I –," she begins, but Will cuts her off.

"No, I'll sort it out. Just stay with Tris, Kate." His voice softens on the last words, then he strides out of the room, pulling a gun from his waistband that I hadn't noticed earlier. I wonder what could be going on outside, or where 'outside' even is. Then I realise something; Will called my mother 'Kate', not Natalie. My confusion deepens, and I chance a glance up at my mother to settle my thoughts. She is smiling in her familiar, knowing way, yet as I stare up at her, something is nagging at the back of my mind, a tiny difference that I can't quite put my finger on. Her eyes are still the deep green that were echoed in Caleb's face, but did not get a place in my plain features. A strand of hair falls over her eyes, and she brushes it back, but not before I notice it's not the blond colour that I inherited, but a darker, golden brown. My mother would never have dyed her hair, so how could it have changed colour? My eyes once again find her small smile, and I realise the change, so obvious now it's been spotted. My mother's dimples have gone, and I suddenly see a stranger's face before me, and impersonation of my mother. I can't feign sleep any longer, and I must know who this woman is.

I roll over and stretch out my arms, blinking against the light as though I have just emerged from unconsciousness. I notice my not-mother step back a little into the shadows; her features are now veiled in the gloom. My eyes find hers, and I give a false start, as though I thought I was alone.

"Who…who are you?" I manage to stammer, my voice hoarse and sore.

"My name is Katherine Wright," she says, giving me a searching look, as if trying to detect a spark of recognition. My mind is blank for a few seconds, until it comes to me; Natalie Wright was my mother's real last name.

"You knew my mother?" I ask.

"Yes, I did." She scratches the back of her neck, just as I do when I'm uncomfortable and I'm suddenly reminded of Christina's Candor intuition during initiation of knowing when I was lying. "Actually, Tris, I'm her sister…and, I suppose, your aunt."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Tobias

I wake up with her name on my lips, as I do every day, as I know I will until the day I die. I quickly get out of bed and cross the hall to my bathroom, trying to block out my thoughts with the monotonous morning routine. As usual, it doesn't work.

When I finish my shower I return to my room, and some small part of me hopes that she will be sitting on my bed waiting for me, as she was the morning after she was attacked during initiation. My skin crawls to think of what Peter did to her, and I have a sudden urge to hit something. But I remind myself that hurting Peter wouldn't do any good - he wouldn't remember it anyway; he wouldn't remember her at all. Sometimes I wonder if that would just be easier, forgetting everything, starting a new life with no pain from old memories. But how could I betray her like that, as though the time I spent with her was meaningless, just a set of memories to throw away when I felt like it. Taking the memory serum wouldn't be brave, it would be the coward's way out, and Tris never knew me as a coward.

Still, the temptation is still there, hovering over me, waiting for a moment of weakness. I told Christina that I had thrown the serum away, but it's still in my drawer, an escape route from my current anguish.

"Four!" Christina yells from downstairs. "What the hell's taking so long?" I sigh deeply, but shuffle out of my room and down the stairs. Often, I think that having Christina share an apartment with me was a mistake, but I do need someone to keep me going when I get depressed, which happens a lot more than I'd like.

"Morning," I say gloomily when I enter the kitchen.

"Well, aren't you full of the joys of spring?" says Christina sarcastically, taking a steaming can out of the microwave. "Eggs?" She offers me the can after taking a large spoonful for herself.

"Since when have you liked scrambled eggs?" I ask, taking the can and grabbing another spoon from the drawer.

"Since your darling mother's regime rationed all the nice food," she replies, making a face as she takes another bite. "What I wouldn't give for a piece of Dauntless cake."

"I can see why you didn't choose Abnegation," I say, passing the last of the eggs back to her to finish. "Then you would appreciate this breakfast as much as I do."

"Once a Stiff, always a Stiff," Christina jokes, squeezing my fingers as I hand the can to her. "I almost forgot, there's a letter for you." She points to a white envelope sitting on the table. One of the good things Evelyn and Joanna have done in the newly reformed government was bringing back the post service.

I tear open the envelope and open the letter enclosed inside. Christina puts her head on my shoulder so she can read it as well. It is written in the neat, cramped style of the Erudite, and the ink splotches dotted around the page give a sense of great haste.

_Tobias, _(it read)

_I know you never wanted to see or hear from me again – and believe me, I wouldn't write if it wasn't important – but something big has happened that I think you should know about. Come to the Scientific Developments Centre at 7.00pm tomorrow, lab 14B and you can see it for yourself._

_Yours,_

_Caleb_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Christina

I watch Four's fingers tense around the piece of paper as he stares down at the words as if trying to etch them into his memory. He doesn't speak, and I don't want to either, so the silence stretches on, an endless cloud that envelopes us. Finally, Four moves; carefully loosening his fingers and exhaling deeply.

"What are you going to do?" I ask quietly, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know," he says, and his voice is soft and vulnerable, far from his normal masculine tone. This is the side of him that only Tris ever got to see; the abandoned son, Tobias rather than Four, the Dauntless instructor. I gently push his shoulder until he turns to face me.

"Look," I shift uncomfortably; I've never been much of a therapist, there's too much Candor in me for that. "I know you can't bear to see him, how much it hurts to see _her_ in him, but this could be important. Do you really think Caleb would dare write to you if it wasn't?" Four bows his head, not meeting my eyes.

"I just can't face seeing him again," his voice comes out muffled, "Seeing all the little things that remind me of _her_… and knowing that he was the one she died to save! She didn't think about hurting me or you, only saving him!" Four's voice cracks on the last word, and his shoulder's shake. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around him, trying to give him some comfort in his pain. Slowly, he returns the embrace, his strong hold a flicker of the Dauntless Four. I relax into him, pressing my forehead to his shoulder and feeling the warmth through his thin shirt. Suddenly I feel Four tense around me and a sob escapes from his lips. I pull back to look at him but he turns his face away, trying to hide his pain from me.

"What's wrong?" I ask, resting my hand on his cheek. "Four?"

"I...I can't talk to you about this," he mutters, placing his hand over mine.

"Why not?" I reply angrily. "You can't just start crying and then refuse to explain yourself to me!" I pull my hand away and step back. "If you're going to act like a baby, I'm not going to put up with it!" I turn to storm out, but Four's hand closes around mine, holding me still.

"Do you think I like acting like this?" he almost shouts. "Do you think I like the fact that I can't bear to touch you without thinking about _her_!" His voice cracks on the last word but he keeps on shouting at me. "How can I even look at you that way, betraying everything I was to her, what she was to me…" He breaks off, and his face is so sad, that all my anger is gone.

I don't know what to say or do, I can't think of anything that will make it better. So instead I just get up quietly and walk out of the room, out of the house, away from the broken man that needs me, and my feelings that I know I must hide. I walk away down the street that used to be part of the Abnegation sector; my first cowardly act since I chose to become Dauntless.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Will

I walk slowly back down the street towards Kate's house, trying not to think about what just happened. Instead, I think about Tris; Tris who I haven't seen since the day she shot me when I was a mindless Dauntless puppet, controlled by Jeanine's serum. Did she feel bad after shooting me? Or did it mean nothing because I couldn't think for myself? How was she going to react when she saw me? Tris, and the rest of Chicago, think I'm dead, along with countless others that have been rescued and brought here to the fringe, undetected by the faction leaders. We've all had to be adjusted to 'life outside the fence', which basically has meant Kate and the other helpers teaching us everything the Bureau and faction leaders deemed unnecessary for us to know. Some people decided to move away from Chicago, but most stayed in the fringe like me, living on the charity of people like Kate. By this time, I've arrived outside our apartment, just off one of the main streets running through the fringe. As I open the door, I can hear quiet voices coming from the room we put Tris in. So, she's awake. I brace myself and walk through the door.

As soon as I enter the room, the voices stop and I feel Tris's eyes boring into mine. I look up at her, and the first thing that pops into my head is how different Tris looks – I hadn't noticed when she was asleep. Her hair is shorter, roughly cut, and dark circles under her eyes stand out on her pale face. But most of all, the way she holds herself, as though she's surrendering after giving everything to her fight.

"Will?" her voice is rough, and barely louder than a whisper. "I can't believe you're here…you…you were dead…I shot you…" She seems lost for words, and tears begin to fill her eyes. Automatically, I walk forward and put my arm around her. I immediately feel guilty for suspecting Tris's indifference to my murder; how could I have thought that she would be so cold hearted? How would I have felt if our roles had been reversed, and I had shot her whilst under the simulation? And now seeing me again, back from the dead…

"How…how are you alive?" Tris asks, her voice still shaking.

"I think Kate's the one to tell you that," I reply, turning to where Tris's aunt is standing by the window. "To be honest, I still don't know the whole story myself."

Kate smiles at me, coming to sit down on the chair beside the bed, then turns to face Tris.

"As you know, Chicago is full of security cameras; some, the Dauntless and Erudite control, but mostly they have been placed there by the Bureau. You've seen how they can watch everything that happens inside the city; even in the places you thought were secret and safe. Well, the Bureau aren't the only ones with access to those cameras – from the fringe, we've managed to intercept the footage from the city. That's how we've been able to keep an eye on what's happening, and try to give help to those that need it.

"As you can imagine, we knew action needed to be taken when we realised Jeanine's plans for creating a Dauntless army, so we assumed the Bureau would take action, perhaps using the memory serum. But they did nothing. We saw Eric meeting with the Erudite to discuss how they would organise implanting the transmitters without detection, but still, nothing happened. It took almost half of your faction being killed, followed by the deaths of many innocent Divergent women and children in the Candor headquarters for the Bureau's decision to intervene. But by this time, we'd already begun our work. Many of the controlled Dauntless had been left wounded in the streets after the transmission ended. Several, such as Will, were too severely injured to return to their faction bases –" Tris winces as she says this, glancing at me. "These were the people we knew we could easily help without attracting attention from the rest of you living in Chicago. It was quite simple really. We have several Bureau vehicles that we repaired, so we could just drive into the city. Not many people know, but there's another entrance into Chicago, behind the factionless sector. We believe that during the riots a few generations ago, some of the factionless managed to break out of the city. They've never been found, though. It's unlikely they managed to make it to another city; there's not much round here except the Bureau and the fringe. The closest city is Milwaukee, and it would take days to get there, even if you knew where you were going." Kate suddenly stops, realising she has gone off topic.

"Anyway, once we had got to the factionless sector, we still needed to plan out where to go from there. Luckily, Will was only a few streets away, just at the edge of the Abnegation sector. We also knew there were several others near us who we could pick up. There were five of us who went into the city; we had the toughest job because it was of the utmost importance that we weren't caught on any of the security cameras, even the Bureau's ones. If they found out what we were doing, they'd get rid of the fringe for good. We were hoping that most of the attention would be focused on the fighting that was going on elsewhere, but we still had to be very careful. We managed to pick up Will and two others, but by then our time was running out and we had to make a break for it out of Chicago. When we got back to the fringe, we each took care of one of the people we had rescued. I was looking after Will, and it was several days before I managed to get him to regain consciousness. There were several times when I was worried he wouldn't make it, his wounds were so deep, but he's strong and pulled through." Kate smiles up at me and squeezes my hand.

"That's about it, really," she says, turning back to Tris. "As soon as Will was able to walk again, he was desperate to get back to the city and help you. I had to convince him that staying here was the safest option for him, seeing as everyone in Chicago thought he was dead. When you and your friends arrived at the Bureau, though, I knew it was time for us to intervene. I've had an access card ever since my sister Natalie worked there." I see Tris's hands clench as she hears her mother's name. Kate notices too, and folds her own hands around Tris's clenched fists. Her voice is softer as she speaks to her niece, and I suddenly feel awkward and out of place, as though I am witnessing a private moment.

"Tris, you know that your mother had to keep her past life secret from everyone," Kate murmurs, "it wasn't that she didn't trust you enough to tell you. But I know how happy it made her to have family like you, after all that we went through as children. That's something I'll always be jealous of, that I never had the shot at happiness that Natalie did."

Tris turns her head towards the wall, biting her lip in an obvious effort to stop herself from crying. Kate puts an arm around her and Tris lets out a sob, burying her head into Kate's shoulder. Seeing their family reunited is making me realise how much I miss having someone to turn to. Unable to contain myself any longer, I stride out of the room, slamming the door behind me.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Tobias

Darkness has crept into the house, and still Christina has not returned. I toy with the idea of going after her, but I'm still annoyed with her for storming out earlier. I reach into my pocket and once again read over the note that Caleb sent to me, now crumpled and ripped from my near constant grasp.

_Something big has happened that I think you should know about._

What does he mean, I should know about? What is there that's happening that could possibly concern me. For a second a flicker of hope squeezes my heart as I think of Tris, but it is quickly dispelled by the darkness of reason. I know she'll never come back to me, but there are still issues that play on my mind as I remember the days following her death. I never saw the body, but I was told that the effects of the death serum made it almost unrecognisable. I insisted that I wanted to see her one last time, but Christina convinced me that it wouldn't be good to see her like that. I couldn't stand to stay in the Bureau, after all that I knew they had done to us, to Tris. But I found returning home even harder; each place where a memory of her lurked was a stab of pain in my heart.

The door slamming jerks my out of my reverie, and I look up to see Christina standing before me, her hair dripping with the rain which must have started outside. Inexplicably, I am overwhelming relieved to see her, and before she has a chance to open her mouth to speak, I wrap my arms around her in a tight embrace.

"Where have you been?" I whisper into her ear, pressing my face against her cheek.

"I just needed some time to think," she says. "I'm really sorry about what I said earlier, I know what it feels like to lose someone you're close to, and I know that sometimes the only person you feel you can talk to is the one you've just lost." She pulls her head back so that she can look at me.

"Look, I know this is hard for you, but I really think you should meet Caleb tomorrow," she murmurs, placing both of her hands around mine holding the note. "It's tough for him too, so whatever it is must be important."

I know she's telling the truth, even though it's hard to hear. I suppose you need some Dauntless in you to be Candor; it takes bravery to not give in to lying. I press my forehead against hers and look into her dark eyes.

"I know," I say, and before I know what's happening, I'm kissing her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Tris

The sounds of Will's heavy footsteps as he marches out of the room jerk me out of Kate's arms. I try to get up, intending to follow him, but Kate restrains me.

"No, Tris," she says quietly, but firmly. "He needs to be alone."

My eyes are still fixed on the door, though I remain seated.

"What's he so upset about?" I ask, turning back to Kate.

"I think he's just a bit homesick," she replies, brushing a lock of hair out of my eyes, just as my mother used to. "I don't think our family reunion has made him feel any better about it either." She sighs, her eyes on the doorway, then stands up.

"Do you feel up to looking round the fringe?"

Though I'm still weak and aching all over, I can't resist the opportunity to be outside again. I practically jump out of bed, before a wave of dizziness sends me falling back down. Kate looks at me anxiously, reaching out a hand to touch my forehead.

"Are you sure you're ready?" she says, as I get up again, this time more slowly. "We can go tomorrow if you'd rather wait."

"No," I insist, already walking towards the smell of fresh air from the open door, "I'm fine."

"Maybe you'd like some different clothes first," Kate suggests, lightly turning my shoulders so that I face the chest of drawers. I look down and realise that I'm still wearing the clothes from the Bureau, now blood-stained and ripped. "I'm sure you're pretty close to my size, pick whatever you like; I'll give you some privacy."

She leaves, closing the door behind her. I open up one of the drawers, and a jumble of colour flashes out at me, all the factions mixed together, and some colours that I've never seen on clothing before; purple, green and pink. Still drawn to my old Dauntless uniform, I find a pair of black jeans and a plain t-shirt. A label on a light blue jumper catches my eye – the name Natalie scrawled in untidy writing. I carefully pull it on, imaging my mother wearing it as a teenager before she chose to live a lie and became Natalie Prior.

Kate is waiting by the front door, the outline of a gun just visible underneath her coat. She notices me looking and smiles.

"I shouldn't need to use it, but things can get out of control in the fringe. When people are constantly fighting for survival, they like to take out their stress on other people," she winces, as if at a bad memory. "Usually nothing serious happens, just a few fights, but occasionally things can escalate and get out of hand. Most people blame the Bureau and the 'genetically pure' for all their struggles, but some just blame each other." The way Kate spits out the words 'genetically pure' makes me think that perhaps she doesn't feel as kindly towards the Bureau as my mother did.

"Um, Kate," I say tentatively, not sure whether it was a good idea to ask. "Did you ever get taken to the Bureau?"

She looks down at me, her expression hard to read.

"Not at first, no. Your mother was picked up by the Bureau just by accident, but once her genes were found to be perfect, there was no question of her returning to the fringe. I had no clue where she had gone, no note from her or anything. I was abandoned with no friends. It was weeks before she persuaded David to come and get me. Of course, they wanted to test me too, but turns out my sister got all the good genes. I was branded as damaged, and therefore useless, so I was shipped back off to the fringe. Natalie wasn't allowed to come and see me, and she wasn't able to sneak out very often. Still, she tried hard to keep in touch, and she helped me and the others when we wanted to save those that needed it in Chicago. After she volunteered to help resolve the situation in the city, she couldn't contact me anymore, but by then we had managed to gain access to the footage from the Bureau's cameras. So that's how I found out when she got married, and that I had a niece and nephew," she smiles at me, but it soon fades. "I've always despised the Bureau for separating me from my sister, and I think that's why I've worked so hard to help those who are below the scientists' notice, just because of their genes."

Hearing first-hand how the Bureau's genetic discrimination has caused such grief, I wonder how I ever believed all their lies. Tobias was right not to trust them, and I shouldn't have assumed he thought that just because they'd humiliated him. I don't know what to say to my aunt, so instead, I just put my arms around her, trying to make up for the time she has missed with her family. I realise how much I miss Tobias, and imagine how awful it would be if our separation was permanent, as for my mother and Kate.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Christina

I am alone in our apartment. Four left early this morning to visit his mother who is still living in her factionless home, despite her new rise to power. I end up sitting on his bed, breathing in his smell that still clings to the sheets. We didn't talk after the kiss, and I'm not sure that Four wants to. I suppose he feels like he's betraying Tris, even after she's dead. I understand why he sees it like that, but I do think he needs to move on with his life. The time after Will died was probably the worst of my life; I didn't think I'd ever get over it. Sometimes you just need a bit of help, and Uriah was there for me. Our relationship was never romantic – we were both grieving and needed a friend to talk to and laugh with. I guess it was our time in the Bureau that made me drift apart from Tris – the discovery of her mother's journal made her distant from all of us, except perhaps Four. He needs me to stop him wallowing in self-pity all the time, but this feels different from how it was for me with Uriah. I guess I've always found Four attractive, ever since I first joined Dauntless. But I was never jealous of Tris, I had Will, until she shot him, of course. I never could fully forgive her for that, although I know he was just acting Jeanine's puppet at the time. Perhaps it's time for me to let go now that's Tris has gone, as well as Four.

A shout from downstairs drags me from my thoughts, and I quickly run down to see him. I'm not sure how to greet him now – a hug, a kiss, nothing? Four looks as awkward as I feel; he shifts his feet nervously and doesn't quite meet my eyes.

"How's Evelyn?" I ask, opting for polite small talk.

"She's fine, a bit power-crazy, but fine." A ghost of a smile flickers across his face. "She can't decide what to do about Marcus, it's like her little game. She wants to exile him from the city, but I don't think that she should."

"You don't?" I say, surprised. Four has never shown any kind of fondness towards his father, I'm not sure what could have brought on this sudden change of heart.

"I guess I can see his point of view more now," Four fiddles absentmindedly with the hem of his shirt. "Losing Evelyn, even if it was his fault that she went, must have been hard, and I suppose I was a reminder of her…" He pauses. "Just like Caleb is a reminder for me."

I almost roll my eyes in exasperation.

"Don't tell me you're backing out of meeting him later," I fix Four with a hard stare. "You chose to join Dauntless, and you're not even brave enough to go and visit an Erudite?" My voice is scornful, taunting, but it doesn't bring out the reaction I was hoping. Instead of fighting back to my criticism, his shoulders slump in defeat. He stands there, an image of self-pity and helplessness, looking so forlorn that I can't stop myself from embracing him.

"I didn't mean that," I whisper, pressing my face against his chest. "I just-"

"No, you're right," he cuts me off, his voice cracking slightly. "I should be able to face seeing Caleb. I chose Dauntless, now I need to show that it was right for me."

Tentatively, his hand strokes my hair. I close my eyes, feeling the constant pulse of his heart beating against my cheek.

"You'll always be Dauntless, Four," I murmur. "You shouldn't change who you are just because Tris died."

He chokes slightly, as though fighting back a sob. I hug him tighter, then I catch sight of the clock behind him.

"Be brave," I say, "it's time to go and meet Caleb."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Tris

There are far more people in the fringe than I had realised from my brief glimpse whilst accompanied by Amar and George – the whole town is buzzing as people go about their daily business; repairing their ramshackle houses, scavenging for supplies, meeting friends. I stick close to Kate, and any hostile looks at me are quickly quelled by her protective stare. She seems to be a popular figure amongst the locals; many call out greetings or stop to talk. I am introduced as her niece from Milwaukee – I suspect this is to disguise my connections with the Bureau. All around there are the signs of the oppression these people have suffered, from the tarp and scrap metal constructions that constitute a home here to the abundant graffiti that covers any official posters supporting the divine right of the genetically pure. It's all so similar to the factionless sector back in the city – but here the Bureau has devised its own initiation based on your genetic code.

My daydreaming is interrupted by Kate calling my name.

"Tris? Tris! You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I say quickly. "Just daydreaming."

"This is the one of the few areas in the fringe which weren't completely destroyed," Kate says, gesturing to the row of houses in front of us. They look familiar, and I realise that I passed here on patrol with Amar. "But there's only limited electricity and water supply, so it's not much better than being on the streets." She turns away from the houses, heading back the way we came. As I turn to follow, a movement in the shadows catches my eye. A dark figure was moving towards us down an alley ahead. Instinctively, my hand goes to my waistband where my gun should be, but I only feel my denim jeans. Panicked, I grab Kate's arm to warn her when the figure emerges into the light.

It's Will. He hurries over to us, looking apologetic.

"Sorry I walked out on you earlier," he says as he reaches us. "I guess I'm just missing home a little at the moment." His eyes catch mine, then he looks away, scanning the street around us. "Giving Tris the tour?"

"Just finished," Kate replies. "We're heading back now if you want to come with us."

"Sure," Will says, falling into step beside me as we turn back the way we came.

"How did you end up getting a proper house?" I ask Kate.

"I've only been living there for about a year," she says. "It was a privilege granted to me for helping the community here. Once a previous owner dies, it's decided who deserves to take it over."

"Good job you got it too," says Will, "or you'd never have enough room for both of us!"

"It's going to be a squeeze as it is," Kate says. "Tris needs to have the spare bed in my room, so I'm afraid you'll be on the sofa."

"I don't need –" I begin, but Will cuts me off.

"Don't worry, Tris," he smiles down at me. "There are worst places I could be sleeping." He looks around at the makeshift homes we are passing, where a couple of thin blankets make up a family bedroom.

This poverty makes even my simple Abnegation house seem luxurious. A feel a twinge of homesickness as I think of the city we've left behind. I need to talk to Will, to see if he will come with me. There's no question of me staying here – generous as Kate has been to me, I have to get home, to Tobias. My heart seems to ache in response to my thoughts, and my legs feel strong again – ready to run back to him.


End file.
